Sectional forming-block.



L. STEVENS.

SECTIONAL FORMING BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED M11214, 1909-.

Patented Sept. 8,1914,

35 tory for various reasons.

1 from-the interior ofa n article which has 3. wood, the dovetailed UNITE S A EsrATENTO FiCE LESLIE srnvnns, RIDGE, New JERSEY. f

SEGIIONAL FORMING-BLOCK;

; To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LESLIE S'rnvnns, a citi-- ful Improvements. in Sectional Forming- Blocks, fully described and represented in the follow ng specification and'the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This inventionrelates to sectional forming blocks, for forming hats, shoes and various other articles wherethe opening to the interior of the completed arti'cleistoo small to per it the forming block to be withdrawn.

:r l t is customary in forming such articles to makeuseof sectional blocks formed of sections each of which is smaller than the opening to the interior of the completed article and which are adapted to be withdrawn successively after the article has been formed on'the block.

The present invention aims to provide an improved sectional block having means whereby the sectionsfof the block will be held securely together and relativemovement thereof will be prevented under ordinary working strains and conditions, and which securing means-will permitthe sections of the block to be readily separated when desired and successively withdrawn been formed onthejblocln Various means h are been resort-edto heretofore'for holding the sections of'such blocks together while in use, but 'such means'havei been unsatisfac- Dove-tailed ribs and grooves on the abutting faces of the sections have been quite commonly used for this purpose, but are unsatisfactory because of the difficulty of getting a lit which is kept together, ortoo tight so as'to cause difficulty in assembling the sections, as well as in separatingthem. As forming blocks of various kinds are commonly made of joints are also liable to swell and makeit sible, to separate the sections. Such difliculties and other difficulties heretofore met with in the attempt to provide a practical sectional block are overcome by the present inventiomwhile at the same time the cost of construction isless thanfor the dove-tailed constructions which have been heretofore very generally in use:

The invention consists in certain novel plan view'of the steady plate.

difiicult, if not imposfeatures of construction and combinations oi parts, all as fully hereinafter described and specifically pointed out in the claims;

The invention has been made especially with the idea of providing animproved hat block, but it will be understood that features of theinvention may be applied toall kinds of forming blocks to -which they may be found adaptable.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, and which show a hat block embodying the various features of the invention in the preferred form t Figure 1 is a planview of the base of the" block with the steady plate or hub removed.

Fig. '2 is a side view partly in sectionshowmg the block vwlth its base or outer face uppermost.

lines 3 and 4 respectively of'Fig. 1. Fig. 5

is a broken sectional view taken on line 3' ofFigfll, but showing the medial section of the block partly withdrawn. .Fig. 6 is a Figs- 2 to 5 show the steady plate attached.

Referring to the drawings, the hat crowns which have-parallel sides and a head opening of less diameter than the crown,

such smaller head opening being formed by folding the felt or other material'of which the hatisformed inward from the base of the crownand then outward to the brim, as

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on block, as shown, is intended for forming hat sp i a of e t- I Patented Sept. 8, 1914:. I Applicationfiled May 14 1909. Serial No. 495,898. i

indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 2. The

block might, of course, beof any desired shape, according to the shape of the hat a crown to be formed. The invention relates in oneof its features, however, especiallyto blocks for formin hats having a head openin smaller than tie base of the crown. The

block is of the; usual five-section construction, having a medial section 10 ,"two side section in either direction, ELIldQtWO OPPO- si'tely arranged sections 12 adjacent to the remainingsides of the section 10 and between the extended portions of the side sections 11; The exterior surfaces 0'15 the side sections Hand 12 are formed to produce a sections 11 lying against opposite sides of A the section 10 and extending beyond SitlCl pivotal point of the plate adapted sloping slightly inward from the base, and the corresponding faces of the side sections are correspondingly inclined, so that the medial section may be more readily moved into place and withdrawn. The medial section 10 has in each of its four side faces a vertical slot or recess 15 in which is set a catch 16 which is adapted to engage a pin or-keeper 17 on the adjacent side section.

The catches 18 are preferably formed of metal plates pivotally mounted in. the recesses 15. as by means of pivot pins 18 set in grooves 19 and held in place by having one or both ends bent and driven into the body of the section 10, as indicated by dotted lines formed with an inside notch 20 beyond the to engage the pin or keeper 17 of the adjacent side section, and each plate has beyond the notch an extension 21 having an inclined inner edge, and each plate is under spring tension to hold it normally in the position of the plates shown in Figs. 3 and 5. To providesuch spring tension, the inner ends of the catch plates on opposite sides of the block section 10 are connected by means of coiled tension springs 22 lying in openings or bores 23 extending through the block section frcnrside to side. The inner faces of the side sections 11 and 12 of the block are formed with grooves 24 in position to register with the grooves 15 of the section 10 and to receivethe cuter portions of the catch plates 16. The grooves 15 and A are preferably made of a width corresponding to the thickness of the catch plates and so as to receive the catch plates with an easy fit, and the catch plates are made of sufficient length and width so that in addition to their function of securing the sections o-fthe block together, they will also act to hold the sections against relative turning movement.

hen the sections of the block are to be assembled, theside sections 11 and 12 are first brought into proper relative position, and the central section 10, which is the last to be inserted, or the last placed section of the block, is then inserted between the side sections and pushed down into place, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4.- As the section 10 ispushed into place, the inclined edges of the extensions 21 of the catch plates will one gage the pins 17 and will cause the catch plates to be swung outward; and then as the section-10 comes to its proper place the shoulders below the notches 20 will have passedbelow the pins 1'? and the catch plates will snap inward under tension of their springs 22. They will then hold the sections of the block together under all ordinary working conditions, the springs 22 being sufliciently strong to p'revent the side sectionsfrom being drawn awayfroni the central section under such strains as will come in Fig. 1. .Fach of the catch plates on th block in its ordinary use, and the catches also serving to prevent relative movement between the central block and the side blocks in a direction parallel to their meeting faces under ordinary working strains.

i In order that the central section may be readily removed when desired, the shoulder forming the lower edge of the notch 20 of each of the catch plates is inclined so that rponfor preventing relative turning movement of the connected sections of the block when termed as shownand as above described, yet it is sometimes desirable to provide means for holding the assembled sections of the block more steadily together and especially for preventing any turning movement whatever of the side sections 11. For this purpose steady guides may be provided, as shown at 30 in Fig. 1, such guides being formed by plates set into the face of the block 10 and adapted to lit in slots cut in the faces of the blocks 11. Preferably, however, or in combination with the guides 30, I provide forthis purpose a steady plate 85 formed on or secured to the top or outer face of the central, or last placed section 10 and of sufficient size to extend over a portion of the tops of the side sections of the block. hen the sections of the block are assembled with the side sections secured to the central section by the spring catches, the tops of the side sections will come close up against the plate 35 and will be thereby held steadily in position and prevented from shifting or turning relatively to the central section. The plate also serves as a forming shoulder or hub for determining the shape and size and position ofthe head opening of hats which are formed with an inward fold from the cated by dotted lines in Fig. By making such forming hub removable from the section 10 of the block, as by making it of a separate piece secured to the section 10 by means of screws 36, the same block may be provided with a number of forming hubs of di fferent sizes and forms and so be adapted for forming hats of the style above referred tohaving head openings of dif ferent sizes and forms. A forming shoulder or hub might also'beprovided on a block otherwise than by means of a plate forming part of or secured to the central, or last placed, section of asectionaljblock. This base of the crown as indifeature of the invention of" providing a block with atop plate or hub, Whether it a is intended to serve as a forming hub or as a steadying device for the block sections, or'to perform bothsuch funct1ons,'1s not limited to use in blocks embodying other ,featurcs of the invention, but may be em ployed generally'in all blocks to which it may be found adaptable;

ltivill be seen that by curing and steadying devices as above described,'block sections having plane meet ing faees may be securely and firmly held together under normal Working conditions,

and readily separated \vhende'siredfOr sue CGSSlVQ' removal from the -hat' or other ar ticle which has been formed. j 1 a It is to be understoodthat the invention is not to be limited tothe exact construction shown and to'ivhich the foregolng description has been mainly confined, but that it 7. includes changes and modifications thereof sections. '3. A forming block formed of a plurality Within the claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

'1. A forming block formed of'a plurality of sections, and having a spring catch carried by oneof the block sections in position to engage a co-acting member on an adj acent'block section when the sections are assembled, said catch being formed to hold said block sections against relative separating movement in a direction either transv verse to their meetmg 'faces 'or parallel thereto under ordinary Working strains, and

said catch and co-acting member being formed to cause the "catch to move against itsspring to free said. sections one from the other .nnder the influence of a strong'pull' tending to move one of the block sections relatively to the otherin a direction sub stantially parallel to their meeting faces.

2. A forming block formed of a plurality of sections, and having a spring catchcar ried by one of the block sections in position to engage a coaeting member on an ad acent block section when the sections-are as sembled to hold said sections against relative separating movement in a direction either transverse to or parallel to their meet ing faces, said catch being formed by a metal plate pivotally mounted in a slotin the block section by Which it is c'arriedin position to project edgeWise to enter'a slot in the adjacent block section to prevent relative turning movement between said block of sections provided with releasable holding means for holding adjoining block sections against relative separating movement in a" direction either transverse to or parallel to their meeting faces comprising a plate having an inside notch and mounted edgewise 1n aslotm themeetmg face of' one section and projecting therefrom to enthe use of the se-- ter aslotinthe meeting fac'e'of the ad joining section and'amember carriedby said adjoining section to eo-aet with said plate to hold sa d seetlons against relat ve Sep'a- I rating movement." I

4. 'Lformingblock formedvof a plurality of sections provided with holding means for holding"adjoining block sections against relative separating movement in a direction either transverse to or parallel to their meeting faces comprising a plate mounted edgeivise a, slot in (the meeting face of one section and projecting therefrom to enat slot in the meeting face of' the ad'- joining-section and-1a member carried by said ad oining 'sectionfito co-act w th said plate to'hold said sections'against relative separating movement,said plate having an inside notch and i an extension beyond the notch with an inclined inside edge, and one of said p'arts' beingl yield ngly held and said parts being formed to cause the yieldingly held part to moveto ffree said bloc-k sections one from theotheiflunder-the influence of a strong pull tending to move one of the sections relatlvely to the other in a d1rectron substantially parallel. to their meet ng facesf 5'. A formingblockfformed of a plurality I of sections provided with holding means for holding adjoining, block sections together comprising" a plate mounted edge- \vise'in a slot in the meeting faceof one section and projecting therefrom to enter a slot in the meeting face of the adjoining section andf-a membercarried by said adjoining section to co-act With said plate to hold said sections against relative separat ing movement in"' a direction either transplates mounted edgewise in slots in i the ineetingfaces of the medial section and'projecting therefrom to enter slots in the meeting faces of the marglnal sections and members carried by the marginal sections to coact with said plates to prevent relatlve sepa- I rating movement between themedial section and the marginal sections in adirection" either transverse to or parallel to their meetmg faces.

7. A forming block formed of a plurality ofsections provided With holding means for holding ad oining block sections together comprising a spring catch .16 formed by a metal plate pivot-ally mounted in a slot in the meeting face of one of the block sections and projecting therefrom to enter a slot in the meeting face of the adjoining section, said plate being formed with an inside notch 20 and with an ,extension 21 beyond the notch 1 having an inclined inner edge and being under spring tension to inove' its notched end inward, and a pin or keeper 17 in the slot in said adjoining block section in position to be engaged by the notch of the catch plate.

8. A sectional forming block formed of a medial section, and a plurality of marginal sections, and having holding means for holding the marginal sections to the medial sec-v tion and for preventing the medial section from being withdrawn from the marginal sections under ordinary working strains, and having shoulders extending from the :medial section in position to bear on the bases of the marginal sections, said holding means being adapted to yield under the influence of a strong withdrawing pull on the medial section to permit the medialsection to be withdrawn. a

9. A sectional forming block formed of a medial section, and a plurality of marginal sections, and having spring catches for holding the sections together when assembled, and a steady plate secured to the base of the medial section and extending outward therefrom to bear on the bases of the marginal sections.

10. A sectional forming block formed of a medial section and a plurality of marginal sections, and having means for holding the sections together when assembled, and a steady plate secured to the base of the medial section and extendingoi'itward therefrom to bear 011 the bases of the marginal sections.

11. A sectional forming block for forming; the crowns of hats which have a head opening smaller than the base of the crown,v formed of a medial section, and a plurality of marginal sections, and having holding means for locking the sections together adapted to yield to permit the medial section to be withdrawn, and a plate on the base of the medial section andextending outward therefrom to bear 011 the bases of the marginal sections and the periphery of which provides a forming shoulder for determining the size and shape of the head opening of the hat.

12. A sectional forming block for forming the crowns of hats which have a head opening smaller than the base of the crown, formed of a medial section, and a plurality of marginal sections, and having a plate securedrtothe base of the medial section and extending outward thereirom to bear onthe bases of themarginal sections and the pe riphery of which provides aforming shoulder for determining the size the head opening of the hat.

13. A sectional forming block for forming and shape of the crowns of hats which have a head opening smaller than the base of the crown, formed of a medial section, and a plurality of marginal sections, and having a forming shoulder for determining the size and shape of the head opening of the hat formed by a part removably secured to the basei'ace oi the medial block section and extending outward to bear on the bases of the marginal sections.

14. A zforming block for forming the crowns of hats which havea head opening smaller than the base of the crown, having on its base face a forming shoulder set in from the edge of the base face of the block for determining the size and shape of the head opening of the hat.

15. A forming block, for forming the crowns of hats which have a head opening smaller than the base of the crown, having removably secured to its base face a part the periphery of which provides a forming shoulder set in from'the edge of the base face of the block for determining the size and shape of the head opening of the hat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesse LESLIE STEVENS l Vitnesses R; Du Bois, C. B. Sonnonnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner QfPatents,

Washington, D. C. 

